Worker shortage challenges California

By Paul Wenger

October 25, 2017

Photo: SANDY HUFFAKER, AFP/Getty Images

Mexican farmworkers were harvesting lettuce Jan. 31 in a field outside of Brawley (Imperial County). Donald Trump’s actions against undocumented immigrants worry California farmers who use a large majority of foreign workers.

Mexican farmworkers were harvesting lettuce Jan. 31 in a field...

It takes three main elements to bring food to your table: land, water and people. In California, all three are under stress.

Urban development continues to push onto California farmland. The multiyear drought and the hundreds of thousands of acres of land left idle as a result underlined the need to improve California water supplies.

The third element — the people — has also been stretched to its limits.

On my farm near Modesto, where I grow almonds and walnuts, I’ve had trouble hiring enough people to tend and harvest my crops. And I’m far from alone: Around California, farmers and ranchers report chronic problems in finding and hiring qualified and willing people to work in agriculture.

The California Farm Bureau Federation — a membership association representing farmers and ranchers — conducted an informal survey of our members. It showed more than half of responding farmers experienced employee shortages during the past year. The figure was higher among farmers who employ people on a seasonal basis — 69 percent of those farmers reported shortages.

A survey we conducted in 2012 showed similar results. Despite all our efforts, California farmers still can’t find enough qualified and willing workers.

Farmers have done everything you’d expect: We have offered higher wages, benefits and more year-round jobs. We have tried to mechanize operations wherever possible. Some of us have changed crops to grow food that requires fewer people to tend and harvest. Unfortunately, some of us have had to abandon crops or leave ground idle because of the employee shortages.

What’s causing the shortages? Farmers have been forthright about the fact that we depend on an immigrant workforce. Ongoing efforts to hire U.S.-born workers have remained unsuccessful.

At the same time, the number of immigrant farm employees coming to the United States has dropped. An improved economy and lower birthrates in Mexico compel fewer people to move north for work. Border security has tightened in the years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

We’ve been asked many times if the Trump administration’s immigration policies contribute to the shortages. We’re not exactly sure at this point. Our survey results found that a number of farmers reported their employees are increasingly concerned about immigration enforcement and may be more reluctant to move from job to job. Although we’re not aware of any significant increase in enforcement activity on California farms, the atmosphere has certainly changed.

Farmers want to be certain we’re hiring people who are legally authorized to work in the United States. That’s why we have called for creation of a secure, flexible, market-based visa program to allow people to legally enter the United States to work on farms and ranches.

The program that’s in place now, known as H-2A, doesn’t work very well. Only 3 percent of the farmers in our survey said they had used it, despite the ongoing employee shortages. It’s just too cumbersome for both employers and employees.

Farmers will continue offering higher wages and moving toward mechanization. But ultimately, long-term availability of locally grown food in California depends on people — and availability of willing and qualified people depends on Congress.

Farmers will continue advocating for a fair and flexible agricultural immigration program. It’s not only important to us and our employees — it’s important to all of us who enjoy California-grown food.